Friction-clutch.



G. L. ARMSTRONG.

FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR.25,1912.

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Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

C. L. ARMSTRONG. FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1912.

1,051,854, Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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. Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 25, 1912. Serial no. cas no.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

' tion-Clutches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference ,being' had .to the accompanylng drawings,

formin a part hereof. I

My invention has relation to improvements in [friction clutches; and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face ele-- vation of the band-wheel and clutch mechanism, the drive-shaft being in cross-section; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on' the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional detail on the zig-Zag line 4-4 of Fig. -1.

The 1 present clutch though emlnently adapted, and specifically deslgned for use in connection with well drilling machines,

may be used with advantage on any class of machinery whatsoever.

The objects sought are to produce a clutch which will remain ineffective when the band wheel with which it is identified, is reversed in order to reverse when necessary, the friction-driven hoisting drum forming one of the elements of a drilling machine; one which shall be simple, durable, efiicient and absolutely reliable under all conditions; one which can be'easily operated; one which is instantly responsive to the controlling lever which the same is manipulated; one which eliminates all friction when the clutch is disengaged; one which permits the.Iband-wheel to rotate continuously and the main shaft may be stopped or started instantly at the will of the operator; one which is noiseless; and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent froin a detailed description of the Invention which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the mainshaft (broken away) about which is loosely mounted the disk or rotatable member 2, the same having cast inte'grally therewith on one side, a peripheral'flange 3, and on the opposite side a hub 4.- engaging the shaft, and a flange 5 surrounding the hub, respectively. The flange 5 supports the wood layers 6 forming the center of the band-wheel, said wheel being driven by a belt leading to any suitable source of power not shown), the layers 6 being protected by an outer ring 7 passed over the flan e 5, the several layers 6, and ring 7 being olted to the disk 2'. For convenience the arts 23, 4, 5, 6 and 7 may be regards as t e band-wheel proper, rotating as they.

do, as a unit, about the axis of the shaft 1. e5

Sliding freely on the hub 4 to and from the disk 2, is a sleeve 8 the inner terminal flange 8' of which is 'rovided with pins 9, 9, disposed one-hund i'ed and eighty degrees apart, the pins-playing freely through openings formed for their reception in t e a disk. 2. The sliding movement referred to is imparted to the sleeve 8 through the medium of a loosely encompassin band or shifting ring 10 (made in two ha ves bolted together) in the s eeve 8 and actuated b a contml lever 11- as well understood n the art. Shifting means of this character are common and per 8e are not claimed herein. On the opposite side of. the disk 2, and within the flange 3, there is keyed to the shaft, 1 the terminal or hub' 12 of a spoke 13 preferably forming an integral part of the split ring'14, the members or arms ofwhich on deposited in a peripheral groove each side of the spoke may be expanded to 5 frictionally engage the inner face of the flange 3. The free end of one of the splitrifig arms is provided with a pair of lugs or lobes 15, 15, which support the pivotal pin 16 about which is hinged the clutch-lever 17, the free end of the long arm of said lever playing in the space or clearance a between the hub 12 and disk 2 opposite one (or the other) of the pins 9. Since the lever 17 is suspended centrallywithin the ring 14, the long arm of the lever is provided with a lateral bend or ofiset b to bring the free end thereof into the clearance a. The short arm of the lever 17 termmates in a head 17 carrying an adjusting screw 18, said screw with the flange 3 of t e band-wheel, the 0perator manipulates the controlling lever 11 in proper direction to cause the sleeve 8 to slide inwardly or toward the disk 2 (dotted position Fig. 4), in which movement the inner ends of the pins 9, 9, are brought into the plane of oscillation of theclutch-lever 17 causing one or the other of the pins (which obviously revolve with the band wheel about the axis of the shaft 1) to engage and trip the lever 17, causing the short arm thereof to oscillate toward the bearing 14 of the opposing member of the splitrally will rot-ate the shaft, from which in turn motion may be communicated tot-he machinery with which said shaft is identified.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a reverse rotationof the band-wheel will re lease the clutch-ringiii the event the mm 9, 9, are accidentally shifted into the plane of oscillationv of the clutch-lever, since an engagement of the lever by the pins under such circumstances will oscillate the lever .in the opposite direction, so that the head 17 will swing away from the bearing 14, allowing the arms of the split-ring to spring. This leaves the away from the flange 3. band-wheel free to turn without alfecting the shaft 1, a feature which is of great advantage in well-drilling machines Where it becomes necessary to reverse the. band wheel for purposes of reversing the hoisting drum. It will be further observed that the only strain on the clutch-lever is that which resultsfrom the pressure necessary to efiect the desired engagement between the clutch ring and the band-wheel, no driving strain being impressed on the lever. Once the ring is expanded into contact with the flange 3 there is no slipping between the parts and hence there is no lost motion, and the greater the resistance or load imposed on the shaft 1 the greater the friction between the ring.

it and band-wheel, and vice-versa. Any sudden, shock in the courseof the engagement between the parts is eliminated as the clutch automatically adjusts itself to the load. Again, there can be no slipping between the parts as any tendency toslip will expand the clutch-ring. To stop the shaft,

the operator swings the controlling lever 11 in proper directionto retract the pins 9, 9,

out of the path of the lever 17, when the natural spring in the metal arms of the clutch-ring will cause the ring to clear the flange 3 of the band-wheel, leaving the latter free to rotate by itself without imparthere contemplated. The ends of these arms or members may be considered the ends of the ring. The spoke 13 need not necessarily be formed integral. with the ring portion, but in practice it is preferred to have this member of one piece.

Itis obvious that whetherthe shaft 1 driven by the band-wheel (as described), or the band-wheel be driven by the shafiathe principle of operation of the clutch will no wise bechan ed.

Having descrl ed my invention, 1 claim: 1. In combination-with a member rotatable about affixed axis, a split clutch-ring independent of said member, a lever pivoted to one end of the clutch ring and adapted to engage the opposite end, and means-on with the rotatable member.

2. In combination with a; shaft, a member .mounted loosely about the. shaft, a split clutch-ring secured to the shaft adjacent said member, an oscillatin lever pivoted to one-of the arms of thespht-ringand having an arm engaging the opposite arm of the ring, and: dev ces carried by the rotatable'membe'r and under thecontrol of the operator for actuating the leverand forcing the arms of the clutch-ring into engagement with the rotatablemember.

3. In combination with a shaft, abandwheel mounted loosely on the shaft and pro vided with-a'peripheral flange, a s lit-ring secured to the shaft within the ange, a

lever pivoted. to-one end of the split-ring.

and engaging the opposite end, and devices on the band-wheel adapted to-be brought in the pat-h of the lever foroscillating the latter with a given direction of rotation of the band-wheel and forcing the split-ring into frictional engagement with the flange of the band-wheel.

4. In combination ,with a shaft, a' flanged band-wheel loosely mounted on, and freeto rotate about, the shaft, a hub formed on the wheel around the shaft, a split-ring'having a spoke keyed to the shaftwithin the flange of the band-wheel, a suitable clearance be I ling formed between the spoke and wheel on one side of the axis of the shaft, a lever hinged to the free end of one of the me m bers of the split-ring and having a short arm engaging the free end of the opposite mem her, the long arm of the lever operating in on' the short arm of the lever, a sleeve,

mounted to slide on the hubof the bandwheel, pins carried by the sleeve and playing freely through the band-wheel, andpositioned to engage the long arm of the lever with .an inward movement of the sleeve and oscillate the lever to cause the short arm thereof to spread the members of the splitring apart and force the same into frictional contact with the flange of the band-wheel, with a rotation of the latter in a given direction.

5. In combination with a shaft, a wheel mounted loosely about the shaft and free to rotate independently thereof, a split ring comprising a pair of arms and having a radially disposed spoke keyed to the shaft, the wheel being provided with a formation adapted to be engaged by the members or arms of the split-ring, a sliding piece on the wheel moving parallel to the axis of the shaft, a lever pivoted at one end of the splitring and having a short lever-armengaging the opposite end, and means for bringing the sliding piece in the path of the lever for tripping the latter and causing an expansion of the split-ring against the formation aforesaid, with a rotation of. the wheel in a given direction.

6. In combination with a rotatable member, a friction-clutch member engaging said rotatable member with a rotation of the lat ter in a given direction, an oscillating lever pivoted to the clutch member and controlling the latter, and means on the rotatable member for actuating the lever and efiecting a disengagement between said members with a rotation of the rotatable member in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

/ CHARLES L. ARMSTRONG.

\Vitnesses:

H. B. EDWARDS,

A. A. SOIINER, Jr. 

